I was truly moved by the Story Corps project that was shared on the podcast, and really started me thinking about the sounds around me. I’ve always viewed myself as more of an introvert than an extrovert, and thus, I should be a good listener. But am I? I started to realize that unless we are told to listen, as if our ears were a switch that could be turned on or off, I don’t really play attention to what’s happening. I tend to zone out during my downtime, but really, downtime can be enhanced or made meaningful by listening to the sounds around me. I actually had a lovely conversation with this retired English teacher while observing at a looming class, she shared her experiences running Knitting Club while she was teaching, a career which spanned 28 years. I thanked her for sharing her experiences, and she responded, while continuing weaving, “I’m just glad someone is willing to hear me talk about myself!” This got me thinking: what if Story Corps was combined with an art component, or if we told each other stories WHILE making art? The combinations are endless. The poignant tales shared on their website: storycorps.org are paired with photographs, but what if they were also paired with an artistic response or reaction to this project? Also, another thing I’ve been thinking about is the broader definition of ‘art’, and how I used to think of it as a visual medium—but it really is a multi-sensory medium. From a curriculum point of view, these two subjects are divided into Music and Art, but especially for schools that lack funding for both subjects, what if there was a way to teach both at the same time?
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